Ice auger



Jan. 31, 1956 E. J. MORGAN ICE AUGER Filed March 12. 1952 INVENTOR. fr/zesfd Wagoam BY fl/Bi Q. 6W

United States Patent ICE AUGER Ernest J. Morgan, Hastings, Mich. Application March 12, 1952, Serial No. 276,125 2 Claims. Cl. 255-70 This invention relates to improvements in ice angers.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide an ice auger which is highly efiicient in boring or cutting a hole through the ice and at the same time is easily operated.

Second, to provide an ice auger which is not likely to become clogged in use, although producing chips of ice of substantial size as contrasted with a shaving cutting action.

Third, to provide a structure having these advantages which is simple and economical to produce and easy to operate and at the same time strong and rigid.

Objects relating to details and economies of the invention will appear from a description to follow. The invention is defined and pointed out in the claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a structure embodying my invention showing the ice auger in relation to ice, which is conventionally illustrated.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on a line corresponding to line 2-2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section on a line corresponding to line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of a slightly modified form of embodiment of my invention.

The embodiment of my invention illustrated comprises an operating shaft 1 provided with a crank 2 having a rotatable grip 3. The shaft is provided with a rotatable end thrust member 4 mounted on the portion 5 of the shaft above the crank. In general these parts are similar to those of a bit stock, the shaft, however, being desirably about four feet in length. The shaft is'provided with a drill-like pilot point member 6 of triangular section and having a pointed tip 7, also of triangular section.

The base of the yoke-like head member 8 is provided with a tubular sleeve-like shank 9 slidable upon a shaft and secured in its adjusted position thereon by means of the set screw 10. Segmental rearwardly tapered sheet metal blades 11 have outer curved edges 12 and inner curved edges 13. The curved edges 12 of the two blades are complementary, that is, they lie in the same circle. In operation they provide a substantially continuous cylindrical curved outer guiding edge. The blades are mounted on the lower ends of the arms 14 of the head member, the point of attachment of the arms to the blades being adjacent to but spaced from the teeth of the blades, and also spaced from the outer and inner edges of the blades. The teeth 15, 16 and 17 of the blades are formed by V-shaped notches 18 in the forward edges of the blades. The outer edges of the outer teeth 16 are defined by the outer curved edges 12 of the blades, and the inner edges of the inner teeth 17 are defined by the inner curved edges 13 of the blades.

The outer curved edges of the blades are concentric with the axis of the shaft, while the inner edges are eccentric thereto as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

The blades are mounted on the head member in spiralice 1y inclined relation, with the teeth of one member being spaced vertically below the rear ends of the other member. The rear ends of the blades are, in the preferred embodiment, curved upwardly at 18.. The teeth of the blades are downwardly inclined relative to the planes of the blades as is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

By adjusting the head upon the shaft the relation of the blades and the center or tip cutter may be varied, but it is desirable that the point project substantially below the plane of the teeth of the blades. The center member, being a cutter or drill, holds the auger at the beginning of the cut, forming an opening .19 in the ice 20 conventionally show in Fig. 1. In this figure the auger is shown in a partially cut hole 21 which illustrates the supporting guiding relation of the blades to the wall of the hole.

The auger is especially designed for the use of ice fishermen and the like, although it may be effectively used wherever desired to cut or bore a hole in the ice.

The rear end of one blade is raised substantially above the rear end of the other blade so as to provide effective clearance. The chisel shaped outer teeth 16 are very effective in cutting the hole as is shown with substantially smooth walls. The adjacent edges of adjacent teeth intersect so there is no place for pieces of ice to wedge, and very effective clearance results, although the action is not a shaving action but is a cutting and breaking action which results in rapid boring.

In the modifications shown in Fig. 4 the rear ends of the blades are not curved upwardly, and the inner curved edges 22 of the blades 11 are irregularly curved so that the inner teeth 23 are substantially the same shape as the intermediate teeth 15.

I have illustrated and described my invention in an embodiment thereof which I have found to be highly practical. I have not attempted to illustrate or describe certain modifications and structural details which I contemplate, as it is believed that this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt my invention as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an ice auger, a pair of opposed generally semicircular plates of springable sheet metal, said plates being horizontally spaced apart and with opposed inner edges oppositely inclined at like angles to a horizontal plane such that the outer edges of the plates lie in a cylindrical surface and whereby the lower portion of the inner edge of each plate is below the level of the upper portion of the inner edge of the other plate, each inner edge including a radially extending edge portion at the upper portion thereof and an offset edge portion at the lower portion of the inner edge in chordal relation to the semi-circular plate and generally parallel to the radially extending edge portion extending to the outer semi-circular edge, and with an arcuate central recess, the edge of which joins the offset edge portion to the radially extending edge portion, said ofiset portion being of greater length than the radially extending portion, each offset portion having downturned teeth formed thereon with the outer edge of the outermost tooth being formed by the semi-circular outer edge of the plate, a U-shaped yoke having its arms extending generally perpendicular to said plates with the ends of the arms secured to the plates at points closer to the teeth than to the radially extending edge portions of the plates, and an operating shaft secured to the base of said yoke and having a pilot point extending in parallel relation between the arms of the yoke from the base of the yoke to below said plates, said pilot point having a pointed lower tip of pyramidal cross section, said pilot point extending between said plates in eccentric relation to said arcuate recesses in the plates, said yoke arms constituting the sole support of said plates.

2. In an ice auger, a pair of opposed generally semicircular plates of springable sheet metal, said plates being horizontally spaced apart and with opposed inner edges oppositely inclined at like angles to a horizontal plane such that the outer edges of the plates lie in a cylindrical surface and whereby the lower portion of the inner edge of each plate is below the level of the upper portion of the inner edge of the other plate, each inner edge including a radially extending edge portion at the upper portion thereof and an offset edge portion at the lower portion of the inner edge in chordal relation to the semi-circular plate and generally parallel to the radially extending edge portion extending to the outer semicircular edge, said otfset portion being of greater length than the radially extending portion, each offset portion having downturned teeth formed thereon with the outer edge of the outermost tooth being formed by the semicircular outer edge of the plate, a U-shaped yoke having its arms extending generally perpendicular to said plates with the ends of the arms secured to the plates at points closer to the teeth than to the radially extending edge portions of the plates, and an operating shaft secured to the base of said yoke and having a pilot point extending between the arms of the yoke from the base of the yoke to below said plates, said pilot point having a pointed lower tip of pyramidal cross section, said yoke arms constituting the sole support of said plates.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 310,608 Osborn Jan. 13, 1885 630,865 Dalbey Aug. 15, 1899 980,853 Vesey Jan. 3, 1911 1,099,379 Keenan June 9, 1914 2,393,282 Berlin Jan. 22, 1946 

